Approximately 400 OC residents began their Lunar New Year in a very special way on Feb. 17 by celebrating with OCTA at Irvine Metrolink Station. Next they, boarded Metrolink to journey to the Golden Dragon Parade and Festival in Los Angeles.

LA’s Chinatown is easily accessible by Metrolink, and a train ride is a pleasant and low-stress way for whole families to travel together to the parade while avoiding traffic and parking expenses. OCTA gave free Metrolink tickets to the first 100 people. The celebration continued with a traditional Lion Dance and refreshments. OCTA Director Al Murray, who is also the mayor of nearby Tustin, addressed the enthusiastic crowd.

Promotional events such as the Lunar New Year event increase ridership. A post-event analysis indicated that ridership on trains promoted for Lunar New Year increased by 15 percent compared to last year’s high boardings. Compared to the Saturday prior to the event, boardings increased by 205 percent.

Many great destinations are easy to reach on Metrolink, including Hollywood, the Mission at San Juan Capistrano, and San Clemente. Check out our ideas and start planning your next Metrolink weekend. Enter to win a free daytrip to Los Angeles here.